There is a lot of buzz and expectation surrounding Holly Holm’s official UFC debut this Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The former boxing champion turned mixed martial artist will bring her undefeated record and polished stand-up skills into the Octagon for the first time when she squares off with Raquel Pennington at UFC 184.
While “The Preacher’s Daughter” is still relatively new to the sport, having fought seven times in four years of work as a professional—the 33-year-old Albuquerque, New Mexico, native has already been anointed by some as the one fighter who will finally derail women’s bantamweight phenom Ronda Rousey under the UFC banner.
For someone who has yet to log a single second inside the Octagon, those expectations are as lofty as they come, yet Holm has never been one to back down from a challenge in any regard. She is determined to be the best at whatever she does and is willing to travel whatever route necessary to make that happen. And that mindset has Holm ready to hit the cage at UFC 184 and put herself in position for the biggest opportunity of her career.
She will first need to defeat Pennington on Saturday night, but that is simply one test to open up the doorway to the next big moment in her MMA career.
“It’s been crazy, but it is finally here,” Holm told Bleacher Report. “I feel like this has been the longest training camp of my life, but at the same time, it also feels like the shortest. There were days when it seemed so far away and others that just flew by. There have been a lot of emotions, but I’m ready to do this. I’m prepared, in shape, focused and healthy. The hard work is done
“Honestly—and this is no offense to the media—but if it were up to me I would just train and fight. But that would limit the opportunities we have. There have been a lot of media obligations for this fight, but that’s to be expected when you are fighting in the co-main event on a card. It’s a lot and it’s extra, but it’s something I’m really trying to dive into and experience.
“Sometimes I just want to get the fight over so bad, and that’s all I can think about,” she added. “In those moments I have to tell myself not to ignore what I’m experiencing right now. We are getting to experience something that most of us female fighters will never get to experience. I just try to take it all in. I just (try) to embrace all the media, interviews, support and hype around me; I’m experiencing something right now. This is a big event and moment in my life, and I really want to take it all in.”
What Holm is making sure to embrace is UFC 184 being a history-making event that will put a huge spotlight on women’s MMA.
For the first time in the 21-year history of the organization, an event will feature women’s bouts in both of the showcase positions on the card as Ronda Rousey will put her women’s 135-pound title on the line against Cat Zingano in the main event, and Holm and Pennington will handle their business in the co-main event slot.
Despite all of the changes and setbacks that have plagued the UFC’s return to Los Angeles, everything has still shaken out to provide some interesting action at the top of the card’s billing. Holm is well-aware that the spotlight will be fixated on the two biggest tilts on Saturday night, and she believes it’s up to those two fights to truly make the moment count for women’s MMA.
“This is a big event for women’s MMA, but it really kind of comes down to how the performances are,” Holm said. “That really carries some weight here. It’s the first time in UFC history that two women’s bouts are the main and co-main events on the card. I feel like there is going to be a ton of curiosity behind this, and people may tune in to watch this event just out of curiosity alone. I’m sure a lot of people wanted to watch it when the main guys were on the card, but I also feel like there are a lot of people who want to watch it even more now.
“This is a historic moment, and I really want to do well and make it successful because it is history. And it all comes down to how the fights are. That is on us. We have a lot of eyes and media attention on us right now, and we really have to go in there and make the most of the opportunity for women’s MMA.”
On Saturday night, Holm will enter the Octagon for the first time and mix it up with a fighter many in the MMA community have already written off in Pennington. In her past outings, “Rocky” has employed a hard-charging and aggressive attack, which is an approach Holm’s technical striking has shredded in the past.
Nevertheless, the savvy combat sports veteran is not looking one step past her opponent at UFC 184. She knows Pennington will present some interesting challenges once the fight goes live but also believes her coaches and camp have prepared her for anything that may come her way.
“I always go out to capitalize on my opponent’s game plan no matter what it is,” Holm explained. “I feel like she knows we’ve seen her fights just as I know she’s watched mine. I know she is going to come in there and want to put the pressure on, but I don’t want to just assume that’s the only thing she is going to do because if I get in there and that’s not the way she chooses to go then I won’t be able to adjust. She come in aggressive or sit back and try to calculate her shots and counter. Whatever game plan she chooses to bring we are going to be ready for either one of them.”
Should the cards fall just right and both Holm and Rousey have dominant performances at UFC 184, there could definitely be a push in the aftermath for the former boxing champion to get her shot at the “Rowdy” one. While being lined up in a championship bout against a dominant titleholder would certainly be a huge task to take on, Holm is ready for whatever comes her way.
She feels things are already moving at express-lane speed, and a showdown with Rousey for the women’s bantamweight crown has been on her mind all along. Therefore, Holm is going to take every big opportunity she can get because she’s all about proving she’s the best women’s fighter in the world.
“I just take it one fight at a time, but I do look at it like it’s a fast track because that’s what it is,” Holm said. “I don’t even need to feel that way because that’s exactly what it is. In a factual way to look at this situation it is a fast track. I get that and good…let’s go. Let’s do it. If I didn’t want to take on the challenge, then I shouldn’t be involved with it altogether. I have to take advantage of every opportunity. It is a lot to take in, but if I can keep doing well and moving forward then I just want to keep riding that train.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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